Life Story

“Say Something”

Scandinavia’s #1 transformational confidence coach, Isabell Rodriguez, turned her life around from one of abuse and self-destruction to dedicating her life to helping woman and girls suffering trauma and abuse, she shares her story with our readers.

That is the title of the documentary movie about my life. When it came out in 2016 and one year later won the “Kristallen Award” in Sweden, I realised for the first time, what it meant to me, to “Say Something” and how important that would become for my future, not only for me but for so many other women around the world.

To make you understand what the definition of “Say Something” is and how it was going to completely change my life forever, I need to share my whole story with you.

I grew up in a small town outside Stockholm, Sweden. My dad died suddenly in a car crash when I was one years old and left my family in despair. Although my mother did the best she could, being a single mum, working three jobs to put food on the table, she also searched for love in all the wrong places, which had consequences.

By speaking up, we can move forwards

I was five years old when I got sexually abused by one of my mum’s boyfriend’s sons, leaving deep marks in my innocent soul. Aged 11 my mother met the man of her dreams. For once I thought that this time, I would experience how a real big family was like.

But instead, a war behind closed doors began, which broke me down piece by piece. My mother completely disappeared and became a shadow of the woman she once was. It was not until he put a knife to her throat and threatened to kill us both, that we fled for our lives into a women’s shelter. Being at a sensitive age at 14 years, I felt anger, hate, and an incredible sense of unfairness.

Here we were, with only clothes on our backs, hiding while he was a free man on the outside, walking the streets as if nothing had happened. The years that followed became even more of a struggle, rebuilding our lives from the ground, and I thought that alcohol and drugs could hide me from my emotions, that I didn’t want to acknowledge.

It became a bad circle of self-abuse and insecurities and I started to attract the wrong people into my life, following the path of my mother. That was when I fell in love with an older guy, my first boyfriend, who abused me physically, mentally and raped me at the age of 15.

For years, I kept living in a self-destructive way, becoming my own worst enemy. Aged 19 I woke up in a hospital after my 4th suicidal attempt. Suffering from a psychosis as a result of taking drugs for a long period of time, I was ready to give up. But that was my wake-up call and the start of a transformational journey, to shift myself from a hurt victim to a striving woman on a mission.

I made up my mind right there and then, if this is my rock bottom, how far up can I go?

We have all got a story, we all have bruises, scars, and experiences we wish were less painful, but the fact that we have them can make us do remarkable things if we allow it. I found an opportunity to share my story and the experiences of my abuse, together with my mum in a documentary movie, which became the award-winning documentary “Say Something”.

That was the start of something really empowering, because of that experience I got a chance to change many other people’s lives, I got in touch with the higher authority in Sweden.

For years, I kept living in a self destructive way

I shared my story and experience, speaking up from my point of view, about what was lacking in the system for abused mothers and their children. One thing led to another and now we are changing a law to protect children who are witnessing abuse at home because I decided to “say something”.

“Say something” is just two words, but two very powerful words, by speaking up, we can move forwards to healing. And not only for us but for so many others who are living in silence, in loneliness, and fear.

You have a story, you have experiences and knowledge which is unique to you, there is only one of you and that is why, when we speak up, we can help so many other people, even influence politicians and laws and change the world, one step at a time.

When I look back and I see the long path I stumbled along, many times I have had to pinch myself. If only my younger vulnerable self, that insecure, lost, and angry girl, had known how her life would turn out, with a huge resilience, fight and effort - she would have never believed me because she never thought she was worthy of it.

Today I live in beautiful Costa Rica, I am happily married and with two wonderful puppies, waiting for my first baby boy, living in my dream milliondollar house, working with women all around the world to help them improve their lives following trauma.

I am grateful, proud, and extremely happy that on that day, when I decided to share my story, to speak up, I gathered all the courage I had left, not knowing where it was going to lead me, but I had faith.

Whoever you are reading this article, there is nothing I want more for you than to know, that no matter where you have been, what you have been through, who you were, that there is always a decision to be made, you can decide who you want to become and don’t let any past experiences determine your destiny.

We are all incredible creations of God, the universe, whatever you choose to call it, and we have infinite sources of potential waiting for us to use. You can become whatever you put your mind to, that is a fact.

Say something, use your voice, use your full potential, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. When you start to speak up, you never know who you will connect with, you will never know if you never start.

Time is now and it’s precious, when we understand that no matter what circumstances created us, our inner limiting beliefs and selfimage, which stop us from going after what we really want, when we understand that we have the power to change that, nothing can stop us.

So dream big, talk loud and make a change, because you do have all the resources and power within you.

Isabell Rodriguez is Scandinavia’s #1 transformational confidence coach, award-winning author, award winner of the documentary “say something” and millionaire mastermind creator. She is a student of Bob Proctor and has dedicated her life to helping women and young girls who have suffered abuse and trauma.